Tubing is employed as a fluid conduit in numerous applications. For example, after many invasive medical procedures, excessive fluid can build up in around affected tissues. This fluid build-up can cause discomfort, lead to infection and delay healing. Consequently, drains are inserted to collect fluid. Tubing, connected to the drains, carry the fluid away from the body.
However, in this and other applications, the tubing can be become blocked due to factors such as the viscosity of the fluid and the presence of solid or semi-solid elements within the tubing. To prevent the blockages or clear them before excessive fluid can occur, the tubing must be cleared periodically. Most commonly, clearing tubing is done by hand, with the tubing being squeezed between the fingers along its length.
Hand clearing of tubing can be excessively time consuming. The time requirement is multiplied if multiple tubes must be cleared, as is often the case following many surgical procedures. Given the notoriously high workloads of hospital personnel, tubing is often inadequately or insufficiently cleared.
Additionally, repeatedly squeezing and pulling the tubing by hand stretches the tubing, sometimes to almost twice its original length. The stretched tubing becomes a greater nuisance for the patient and for other hospital personnel that must work around the patient.
Various devices have been proposed to facilitate the clearing of tubing. However, many of these devices are awkward or cumbersome to use. Additionally, the use of such devices still results in the pulling and stretching of the tubing.